Can trauma be treated? If so, how?
If you are a survivor of complex trauma, but you are still suffering from the effects of the traumatic events that you experienced throughout your life, you might be wondering if you will ever be able to break free from the shackles that still entangle you.
The answer is, yes, you can! While maybe the hurt has been etched into your soul, you can still be able to live a meaningful life.
There are various ways to treat complex trauma. Let’s have a look and see how you can heal.
When it comes to treating complex trauma, individuals might need long-term therapy to help them overcome the pain and hurt that they have been through. Often times the hurt is so deep and transforming, that a person could suffer from multiple mental health disorders. People could experience depression, disassociation, relationship problems and feelings of guilt and shame. Others might even develop a borderline personality disorder. The damage that complex trauma creates changes a person, that is why ongoing therapy is needed to help a person heal.
Treatment with a therapist
When it comes to treatment, seeing the right therapist will be necessary. You might even need to be booked into a mental health facility for some time. Even after being treated, you might still need to have ongoing therapy for a few years. People who suffer from trauma have serious issues that will need to be addressed. You can only imagine if abuse was ongoing for years, that a person will need years to help them manage their emotional pain.
Three phases for treatment are advisable from practitioners who have had success.
- Stabilization, resourcing and self reservation
- Processing of traumatic memories
- Consolidation of treatment gains
Stabilization and safety is the foundation of treatment. Safety will need to be established over and over again. People who suffer from complex trauma often lose their sense of safety, therefore it is important for them to establish that feeling again if they are to ever move forward. Those who have been affected by complex trauma often also have trouble regulating their emotions and behavior. Reflecting on the past is also difficult and can be traumatizing. Effective treatment needs to focus on self-regulatory deficits, which means that the person can learn how to manage their emotions and behaviors when faced with difficult situations.
Group therapy
Group therapy can also be effective for those who suffer from trauma. When they are able to share experiences, this will help them feel as if they are not alone. It’s important to be in a group that matches the individual’s stage of healing. These groups can help the individual feel safe and help with self-understanding. Group therapy has also been shown to help reduce feelings of shame and isolation. When survivors share their experiences they build on feelings of hope, strength, and safety. Peers can help each other to heal by having an understanding of the trauma that each person faced. Every experience is unique, but each person can help support others by sharing their experiences and coping strategies.
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Many therapists have found that CBT is most effective. This involves talk therapy that is focused on modifying negative thoughts. CBT can help people find new ways to behave by changing their thought patterns. This is a short term therapy but it can still be beneficial. By using cognitive behavioural therapy a person can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
5.Medication
Sometimes medication is also needed to help a person cope with their emotions. Medications can help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety that a person might experience after being exposed to complex trauma. SSRI medications are usually prescribed to help the individual. SSRIs work by increasing serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that carries signals between brain nerve cells. SSRI block the reabsorption of serotonin. This then makes more serotonin available to improve the transmission of messages between brain nerve cells. SSRIs are safe and non-addictive. You can work along with your psychologist and psychiatrist to find the right medication, to help you manage debilitating emotions.
When it comes to the treatment of complex trauma, there are many ways in which the individuals suffering can heal. Treatment could take years, but it is worth it. The right kind of treatment can help a person to live a meaningful and happy life. If you have suffered from years of abuse, or traumatic events, you deserve happiness. You deserve a life that is filled with joy and meaning. You can have this life if you seek the right kind of treatment. Dark memories might always be a part of you, but they don’t have to hold you back from enjoying a wonderful life that you deserve.